Student-athletes working out at the Alexandra Middle School Sports Institute (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Teagan Rasche

Almost 100 students involved

Two months in: Alexandra Middle School Sports Institute wildly popular and well-received

Nov 5, 2021 | 8:59 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A year ago, the space where student-athletes are now working out, was a storage room.

Now, it’s part of a much bigger program that develops students into better athletes and people, both on and off the field.

“My passion for working out kind of started during COVID because we had limited resources for me to train but I still wanted to make sure I kept up my strength just for when we come back I’d be even stronger, Jordis Barabe said. “So when this became an opportunity, I knew it was something I wanted to do.”

In Grade 9, multi-sport athlete Jordis is part of the Alexandra Middle School Sports Institute. An in-school holistic program that focuses on improving students’ athletic performance regardless of ability or sport.

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It’s only been two months, but principal Todd Samuelson says it’s the most popular program at AMS.

“We have a population of about 470 students at Alexandra Middle School and we have close to 100 students participating in sports institute,” Samuelson said.

A typical week has students working out at Badlands Training Centre on Monday, lifting weights and participating in classroom work on Wednesdays and an optional workout on Friday.

Strength and performance coach Jessie Jans leads the workouts at Badlands. She says what kids like most is the variety.

“I heard rock climbing from one, strength classes from another, CrossFit from someone else. I heard the cardio and spin and yoga from other kids,” Jans said. “So they’ve all seemed to really find something that they’ve really enjoyed when they’ve come to visit us.”

At AMS, the focus is on improving the whole athlete. In the classroom, students learn about nutrition, anatomy and sports psychology, which is where Jordis feels like she’s made the most improvement.

“I really like, along with the workouts, the mental part of it because we do work a lot on making sure we are mentally healthy and that’s one of the things I used to struggle with as a gymnast,” Jordis said. “Just making sure I’m confident in myself and my ability.”

So the gymnast trains next to the football player, and the basketball player trains next to the figure skater. One thing they all have in common is the positive feedback about the program.

Their parents see it too with 90 per cent of them being very satisfied with the sports institute so far, according to a recent survey. It’s an inclusive program that won’t turn anyone away regardless of financial situation or athletic ability.